More Parents believe in Goodness of Tech use: Survey

A survey in the US found out more parents believed there were benefits of using electronic devices, but more parents said social media was the only online activity which was harmful for kids.

A survey conducted in the US found out that 53 percent parents believe their kids benefit from the use of electronic devices rather than being harmed. However, 42 percent parents were neutral about the usage.

The survey conducted by Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) revealed that 93 percent parents think their children were safe online, while for 37 percent, the kids were “very safe.” “This report captures the keen awareness among parents of the promise of technology in their children's lives,” says Stephen Balkam, Founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute. “But it also points to an unmet need for information, tips, guidance and practical help on how to raise kids in our digital world.”

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Another finding revealed that 93 percent parents thought their child is safe while online and 37 percent felt they are very safe. Just 7 percent believed their child is unsafe.

However, not all quarters believe that the child is safe. Donna Rice Hughes, president and CEO of Internet safety group Enough Is Enough, said that some parents think as their children are well-behaved, they would keep away from the bad things on the Internet, while some parents are too old to catch up with the evolving technology. “When you have your child connected, you’re opening up all the wonderful parts of the Internet – great content, safe people,” Hughes said, adding, “You’re also opening up the opportunity for them to access harmful content and for dangerous people to access them.”

The research said parents believed that social media was the only online activity and technology which was harmful for kids. Some 43 percent of parents thought their children did not benefit by using a social media account, while 31 percent thought the risks and benefits were about equal. Only 26 percent thought there were more benefits.

The survey showed parents were trying to be a part of their kids’ online activity. Over 90 percent had explained to them about the potential advantages and disadvantages of being online and most parents had reviewed their children’s activity.

Some 64 percent of parents keep track of their child's technology use. And the vigilance decreases with increase in kid’s age. Some 58 percent keep a track of the browsing history when kids are teens, while the figure is 73 percent for kids between six to nine years.

For children with smart phone or mobile device, 71 percent parents said they had checked sent and received text messages and 45 percent had set limits on the number of messages to be sent. And over 70 percent of parents had checked their children’s texts.

Source-Medindia